I choose these topics because I find them to be interesting facts and important relevant issues I see in my community. Sociology helps us understand everyday life.
1) Online Dating Experience
By Todd Schoepflin
Ariely points out that typical online dating websites break people down into “searchable attributes” such as height, weight, income, and political views. These websites operate on the mistaken assumption that people are easy to describe on the basis of such attributes. He uses wine for an analogy. You might be able to describe the wine you drink, but that doesn’t matter very much. What matters is that you know if you like it or you don’t.http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/in_relationships/
The blogger writes about another mans view of on online dating. How the peoples views and perspectives change about one another when a relationship is created over the internet; Rather, he believes the typical online dating system exaggerates our tendency to be superficial.
I’ve personally always questioned and had concern that the internet gives more opportunity for infidelity because it give you more opportunity to speaking to others you might have not have other wise have had to speak to before.
Does the internet create the cheater or does it give the cheater more opportunity?
There is the good and bad of online dating, success and unsuccessful, Influences, But most importantly keep a reality check.
2) Who is Responsible for student learning?
By Janis Prince Inniss
Janis Prince Inniss, blogs about how far students expect their teachers have to go to help them in obtaining their education. In addition, questions how far should teachers go to help their students learn?
http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/2010/10/who-is-responsible-for-student-learning.html
By Melissa MacDonald
When I was in school I don’t recall any of the overachievers, I guess I could consider my self to be an excel student but I was more laidback like a lot of the other and to do this I don’t know of student not willing to learn, they just needed the right teacher.
Now I can speak from both the perspective of a teacher and that of a students.
1) Understanding the obligation of the teacher and the students
I do not think a teacher should hold the hand of the student, However, I find that a teacher should be an affective leader by providing strong support and guidance.
2) I am unsure of the average population of students to a class in south. If a high population I am sure it would be difficult to work more one on one, but in the Northern classes the higher the grade the lower the population which could mean more working one on one.
3) It is important that the teacher be available, it is an expectation that should go both ways, if you expect the student to be more involved then you should expect to do the same for your student.
4) A teacher should have strict guidelines and then eventually lighten up, a teacher should try their best to identify the needs of individual students in their classes, and work to help each child develop his or her own potential.
5) A teacher should be strong and intellectual enough to suggest different programs, ideas that may better suit the student’s interests and needs to becoming successful.
3) Testing Toddlers
By Hilary Levey
Stressed about New York City Department of Education that may begin testing three-year-olds for places in kindergarten classrooms at public schools. If the Department of Education goes forward with this plan, they must work to ensure that all children have equal opportunities to gain admission. Otherwise the current proposal will only worsen a worrying trend towards unequal access to the City’s best schools.http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/social-institutions-work-education-and-medicine/
By Melissa MacDonald
I see the decision to test preschools for kindergarten to be have both positive and negative aspects.
Positive:
Encourage developing children’s skills and learning at early age
Parents work harder to ensure children have proper education
More pressure is on the parents to ensure child is receiving their education rather then just expecting the teacher to teach everything that has to be taught.
Negative:Parents work harder to ensure children have proper education
More pressure is on the parents to ensure child is receiving their education rather then just expecting the teacher to teach everything that has to be taught.
Unequal access to best schools
Social impacts
Here is an example is an article about the thoughts of the testing and how this all affects the children’s futures.Social impacts
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/295146
4) Inequality and Life Chances: Going to Law School or Going to Prison
By Karen SternheimerSociologist Max Weber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber)
Observed that our class and status shape one’s opportunities, what sociologists call “life chances,” While we tend to think of success as the sole result of our talent and effort, our social position is in many ways a result of our family’s social status.
http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/social-institutions-work-education-and-medicine/
By Melissa MacDonald
Social class influences our life chances: Even in our small communities, it is very noticeable as to who will be successful in life and who is considered/labelled as being of social assistance. In our small-populated communities, we all live in the same environment that creates both the drug and alcohol dealers and the successful goal orientated Inuit.
Here is an example of the state of most communities in the North and the battle that continues: Nunatsiaq News Article
Kitikmeot Youth fret over social problems, language
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/810102_oss_of_language_social_problems_top_list_of_kitikmeot_youth_concerns/
What sets the successful and not so successful apart is mainly popularity, and education. Many people in Nunavut are given the same opportunity to training, and money. It is just the fact of how much support they receive and if they have the comprehension to make the life decisions that has to be made.
5) Can social problems be solved?
By Karen Sternheimer
If you have ever taken or taught a sociology class, you know that many students leave feeling like some problems are too deeply entrenched in our social structure to ever change. This, of course, is not true; social change is possible. But how?http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/everydaysociology/2010/05/can-social-problems-be-solved.html#comments
By Melissa MacDonald
I agree with what Karen spoke about in her blog, about not expecting the law to create change in people. In our communities I see a lot of people pointing fingers as to who’s faults and responsibilities are that of the youth. And time after time I hear the passion for change. However rarely do I see any, because eventually that passion wares off into the back of peoples minds until yearly meetings are around the corner, are when issues really arise again.
Article in NunatsiaqNews.
Kitikmeot women weep over the state of youth
"The drug dealers are murdering and killing our children"
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/09109_save_youth_put_traffickers_and_bootleggers_in_jail_kitikmeot_women/
People are confused as to what is considered normal, in small communities drugs, alcohol abuse and gambling are considered the Norm and I just want so badly to scream in their faces “IT IS NOT NORMAL!”, it is affecting the lives of everyone associated. And Who’s fault is it? Is it The youth, parents, Bylaw, RCMP, teachers or the fault of all of the community?
If people want to see a change in their lives and that of their communities then they better start understanding that life committing changes that are to be made, We have to set an example and be the role models, we cant expect some else to clean up our mess, it doesn’t take a dollar to know the difference from right and wrong.
I believe what should be done in the communities are to begin to form groups, organizations, facilities of people willing to contribute their time and knowledge and support to help create healthier, happier, educated people. So that issues are constantly being dealt with in the communities and not having to wait for the media and an honorarium to let it be known. People and youth need to be given more opportunity through education and training, they have to be challenged in life, no more hand outs and leniency; people have to learn to be positive and contributing members of society.
CONCLUSION
I think that the use of blogs is a perfect way to open up not just the walls of the NU class rooms but also the minds of Nu students, Blogs invite new variety of ideas, viewpoints, and most importantly they give students the ability to contribute what they think, while learning constructive, logical meaning and learning to know the legit materials.
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